Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Wayne State University Volleyball (3-1) knocked off sixth-ranked Southwest Minnesota State (2-1) in five sets and swept Saint Leo (2-2) on Saturday as play concluded in the GVSU Laker Classic. The Warriors start the season and finish the tournament with a 3-1 record.

The Warriors have fared well in recent opening weekends, posting a .500 record or better in six of the last seven years. Last season, the Warriors went 2-2 at the NSU Sharks Classic. WSU went 1-3 in 2011 at Missouri-St. Louis, 2-2 at Indianapolis in 2010, won all four matches in the 2009 WSU Invitational, posted a 3-1 record at the Cal State Monterey Bay Otter Classic in 2008, and won two of four matches at Francis Marion in 2007.

Match One - #6 Southwest Minnesota State (W, 3-2)
The thrilling five-setter ended with the Warriors edging the Mustangs 15-13 in the fifth and decisive set. The Green & Gold took set one 25-22, set two 25-23, dropped set three 25-21 and set four 25-19 before rallying to win the final set 15-13.

SMSU started the first set with a 4-1 lead before Wayne State came back to lead 6-5. The set was all even at 10-10 following a Candice Ottey (Ajax, Ont.) kill. The Warriors forced the issue and four SMSU attack errors propelled WSU to an 18-13 advantage. The Mustangs would tie the set at 19-19 before WSU secured a 25-22 victory.

WSU led 8-6 in the second set after a kill from Heather Weiss (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron). SMSU took the next seven points to take an 18-10 lead. However, the Warriors staged a furious rally and collected the next 11 points to lead 21-18. Two attack errors from SMSU ended the set and gave the 25-23 victory to the Warriors. 

SMSU, who has qualified for the NCAA Tournament each of the last nine seasons, would not go quietly. The Mustangs led a back-and-forth third set 10-7. SMSU took five consecutive points to extend its lead to 19-11. Another Ottey kill cut the deficit to 21-16 and two consecutive Warrior points would make it 24-21. SMSU would hold off the Warrior comeback and avoid the sweep with a 25-21 win.

With its confidence growing, SMSU led 7-2 to begin the fourth set and forced a WSU timeout. Back-to-back Mustang errors gave the Warriors an 8-7 lead to end a 6-0 WSU rally. SMSU led 13-12 and the two teams would trade leads until the Mustangs won eight of the next nine points to lead 23-16. SMSU would force a fifth set with a 25-19 set four victory.

The fifth set was as thrilling as you would expect with both teams playing well and trading leads. Essence Jackson-Jones (Muskegon, Mich.) gave WSU a 10-9 lead with a kill. The Mustangs would take a 12-10 lead before the Warriors took five of the last six points to win 15-13.

Kristen Bulkiewicz (LaSalle, Ont. / Sandwich) collected her 22nd career double-double with 16 kills and 17 digs. Kelsey Bonewits (Griffith, Ind.) added in 10 kills and 10 block assists. Madison Reeves continued an impressive start to her sophomore season with another career-high 45 assists.

This loss marked the first loss to an unranked opponent in three years, coincidentally that loss in 2009 was also against Wayne State. However it was fellow NSIC member Wayne State College.  Also, WSU collected its first win over a ranked program in eight attempts, last win vs. Top 25 team was on Sept. 23, 2011 against #20 GVSU (3-2).

Match Two - Saint Leo (W, 3-0)
Following the intense win over Southwest Minnesota State to begin the day, WSU opted for a sweep of Saint Leo to wrap-up play in the Laker Classic. The Warriors took set one 25-17, set two 25-12 and set three 25-15.

The Lions opened up the first set leading 5-2 but the Warriors took seven of the next eight points to take a 9-6 lead. Back-to-back kills from Ottey continued the momentum for WSU. Five straight points including two service aces from Reeves put the Warrior lead at 20-12. WSU took the final three points to win, 25-12, the match ending on a Saint Leo attack error.

Set two would be all Wayne State as the Warriors jumped out to a 10-5 lead and stretched the advantage to 18-10 following a kill from Ottey with an assist from Macy Steenhuysen (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Kentwood). WSU took seven of the last eight points to take set two by a final score of 25-12. Weiss ended the set with a kill with an assist from Reeves.

Midway through the third set, Wayne State led 13-11 after an ace from Weiss. Bulkiewicz connected for a kill to extend lead to 21-12 and the Warriors would complete the sweep with a 25-15 victory.

Ottey led WSU with 13 kills, hitting .435 (13-for-23) while Bulkiewicz added 10 kills. Reeves dished out 28 assists and as a team the Warriors totaled 11 blocks. Reeves collected 28 assists in the sweep.

Tournament play continues next weekend when the Warriors will participate in the Wisconsin-Parkside Tournament in Kenosha, Wis. Wayne State will face UW-Parkside and Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Indianapolis and Lewis on Saturday.